1 T hen the Lord said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!

Then the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be turned with favor toward this people. Send them out of My sight and let them go!

2 A nd it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

And if they say to you, Where shall we go? then tell them, Thus says the Lord: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

3 I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

And I will appoint over them four kinds, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to tear and drag away, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.

4 I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth and to be made a horror to all nations because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for which he did in Jerusalem.

5 “ Indeed, who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you, Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

6 “ You who have forsaken Me,” declares the Lord, “You keep going backward. So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!

You have rejected and forsaken Me, says the Lord. You keep going in reverse. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting.

7 “ I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.

I will winnow them with a fan and a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I will bereave them, I will destroy My people; from their ways they did not return.

8 “ Their widows will be more numerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man, A destroyer at noonday; I will suddenly bring down on her Anguish and dismay.

I will increase the number of their widows more than the sand of the seas. I will bring upon them, against the mother of young men and the young men, a destroyer at noonday. I will cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

9 “ She who bore seven sons pines away; Her breathing is labored. Her sun has set while it was yet day; She has been shamed and humiliated. So I will give over their survivors to the sword Before their enemies,” declares the Lord.

She who has borne seven languishes; she has expired. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been put to shame, confounded, and disgraced. And the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord.

10 W oe to me, my mother, that you have borne me As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.

Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me to be a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither loaned, nor have men loaned to me, yet everyone curses me.

11 T he Lord said, “Surely I will set you free for purposes of good; Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

The Lord said, Truly your release, affliction, and strengthening will be for good; surely I will intercede for you with the enemy and I will cause the enemy to ask for your aid in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

12 “ Can anyone smash iron, Iron from the north, or bronze?

Can iron break the iron from the north and the bronze?

13 “ Your wealth and your treasures I will give for booty without cost, Even for all your sins And within all your borders.

Your substance and your treasures will I give as spoil, without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your territory.

14 “ Then I will cause your enemies to bring it Into a land you do not know; For a fire has been kindled in My anger, It will burn upon you.” Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer

And I will make to pass with your enemies into a land which you do not know and I will make you to serve there, for a fire is kindled in My anger which will burn upon you.

15 Y ou who know, O Lord, Remember me, take notice of me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.

O Lord, You know and understand; remember me and visit me and avenge me on my persecutors. Take me not away in Your long-suffering; know that for Your sake I suffer and bear reproach.

16 Y our words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

17 I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, Nor did I exult. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone, For You filled me with indignation.

I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation.

18 W hy has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?

Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?

19 T herefore, thus says the Lord, “ If you return, then I will restore you— Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.

Therefore thus says the Lord: If you return, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile, you shall be My mouthpiece. Let them return to you—not you to.

20 “ Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” declares the Lord.

And I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord.

21 “ So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”

And I will deliver you out of the hands of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the palms of the terrible and ruthless tyrants.